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By Chris Cella
To get ready for his upcoming WBA world light middleweight title fight with Miguel “Angel” Cotto (37-3, 30 KO), Austin “No Doubt” Trout (25-0, 14 KO) has been working diligently in refining what has kept him undefeated through 25 trips to the squared circle.
On December 1, Madison Square Garden will be the home as Showtime features Trout’s fourth defense of his WBA title, this time against the Puerto Rico boxing sensation looking to recapture a title and show he is one of the best in the game.
About his training camp, Trout commented, “I haven’t changed anything; it’s just more intense camp.”
“I’m expecting a hard 12 round in an intense fight. Cardio is very important because I’ve never known him to show up unprepared. He’s still a very hungry fighter and I’m flattered he chose me as his opponent. That shows how hungry he still is, so I’m upping everything that I normally do. We had to acclimate to the high altitude, but now we’re continuing to work harder than ever.”
Cotto has recently gone to battle with some of the best in the game, including Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao, Ricardo Mayorga and Antonio Margarito, and is relentless in getting back to his winning ways and raising the belt December 1.
Cotto is on a mission in this fight to not only capture Trout’s belt, but to show that once again he can rebound against a top opponent, similarly to as he did upon losing to Pacquiao, where he rebounded by defeating three reputable opponents in earning the fight against Mayweather Jr.
Preparing for whatever Cotto brings to the ring on December 1, Trout has studied countless Cotto fights and believes he is ready for whatever the former champion brings to the thing.
“I’ve got a pretty good bead on how he fights and I know my jab will be a problem for him, but I will have to put a lot of leather on him,” says Trout.
“He’s a warrior that comes to fight, but I’ve seen fighters like him before and I know what I have to do. I’m looking at this as my golden opportunity. He’s had his time and done great things with it, but it’s my time now. I’ll be damned if I let this opportunity slip away from me.”
Trout will have his hands full, as he will undoubtedly be surrounded by tens of thousands of adoring Cotto fans who plan to rock the Garden, but he has continued to exude the confidence and demeanor of a fighter looking to retain his title.
Showdown: Cotto vs. Trout will take place December 1 at Madison Square Garden. The 12-round battle for the WBA Super Welterweight Championship of the world will be aired live on Showtime Championship Boxing.
